Last month, someone complained about Lloyd Allen’s LL Farm Stand sign in the Post Road median. He took it down.
Lloyd’s back, with a perfectly legal — and very rustic-looking — sign in front of his Post Road place.
Right behind it — and also inviting — is a hand-written sign for all the good stuff Calise’s Market offers up.
(Photo by Lynn U. Miller)
Westport is awash in signs. If we’re going to have ’em, these are the ones that hit the mark.
The 3rd time’s the charm.
After 12 years on King’s Highway North, and 2 more in Southport, the Double L Farm Stand is ready to open at a 3rd location. For the 1st time, all the produce will have 4 walls, and a roof over its head.
And — also new — Double L will be a year-round operation.
The new site is 730 Post Road East — next to Calise’s, just down from Cumberland Farms. The storefront has been vacant for a while, after housing a salon.
Lloyd Allen (left) and Michael Van Haaften take a brief break from preparing their new digs.
A nice tile floor remains — but that’s the only remnant of the previous tenant. The rest will be pure Double L. Lloyd is recycling everything from Southport: tables, skids, bricks, and “whatever else was laying around.”
Opening day is Friday, May 28 — “come hell or high water, painted or not,” Lloyd says. “A produce place has to be ready by Memorial Day.
“It’s great to be back in Westport,” he adds, joking that “this is like moving to Beverly Hills.”
Lloyd’s many loyal customers will welcome him back with open arms — and bulging tote bags.
“We’ll continue to focus on ‘local’ and ‘organic,'” he promises. “I just got back from Amish country, and we’ve got the same peach grower as last year. We won’t get too fancy.”
Just good — no, great — produce. Selected, displayed and sold the Lloyd Allen Double L way — with llots of llove.
Posted in Environment, Local business, People
Tagged Double L Farm Stand, Lloyd Allen, local food, organic food
“06880” reader Ned Hardy writes:
“Since you’ve written so much about Double L Farm Stand, you might be interested to learn how they packed our purchases after our visit today.”
It’s safe to say, at Double L they treat your watermelon like it was their own kid.
(Photo by Ned Hardy)
Last week — in the midst of the summer growing season — the town of Fairfield threatened to shut down the very popular Double L Farm Stand.
The town alleged zoning violations in the open-air market, on the Post Road a few yards beyond the Westport line. Owner Lloyd Allen countered: “We’re being treated with the same mind-set as Stop & Shop.”
Lloyd called a few minutes ago, with great news. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture ruled — ta da! — that the Double L Farm Stand is officially “a farm.” A farm is zoned differently than, let’s say, Stop & Shop.
So Double L is open for business. As always, business is booming.
Go whenever you can. New local produce arrives throughout each day.
Lloyd Allen and local Westport cucumbers.
During 12 years running the Double L Farm Stand on King’s Highway, Lloyd Allen’s “local” produce came from places like New Jersey.
Now — in his 2nd year on the Post Road, at the Southport line — “local” means right down the street. There are beets from Bayberry Lane, tomatoes from Old Redding Road, potatoes from Easton. It’s a true farmer’s market, and the farmers are our neighbors — maybe even you.
“Jimmy Belta pops the hood on his car, and unloads beets, garlic and basil,” Lloyd says of the native Westporter.
“He’s not the only one,” Lloyd notes. “It’s everybody. People deliver onions, eggplants, you name it. They bringing it in Balducci’s and Saks bags. They’re growing organic, and they’re excited.”
One of Lloyd’s suppliers used to work in New York. Now he raises fingerling potatoes — hundred of pounds of them.
Another Westporter brings cucumbers. A 72-year-old woman in Easton grows russet potatoes.
Lloyd calls the new emphasis on local farming “phenomenal.” He attributes it to education; greater concern about what we eat; the economy and food prices, and a desire to eat better than we’ve been doing.
As if on cue, Mike Robertshaw drives up. The 2006 Staples graduate’s car is filled with eggplant.
“He’s 1 of my farmers,” Lloyd says proudly. And off he goes, to help unload another serving of very local produce.
Mike Robertshaw, Lloyd Allen and a car full of eggplant.
Posted in Environment, Local business, People
Tagged Double L Farm Stand, Lloyd Allen, local produce, organic farming
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